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Top Tips to Help You Quit Smoking
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Stopping smoking has huge benefits to your health and wellbeing and enhances your quality of life. We're here to help you every step of the way.
What are the benefits of quitting smoking?
The benefits of quitting are tenfold:
- To improve your health and reduce risk of life threatening diseases.
- Reduces breathing difficulties.
- Increases your energy levels.
- Within 20 minutes of quitting your circulation improves and your blood pressure will lower. Making you less susceptible to other illnesses.
- Your sense of smell and taste improve.
- You will look and feel healthier.
- You will save money - Find out how much using this savings calculator
- You will be a great role model for your children and grandchildren.
- You will have fresh breath and cleaner teeth, hair, skin and nails.
- You will have more control over your life.
"How do I quit smoking?"
Here are some tips to help you on your way to quitting for good:
1. Tell everyone
Involve your family and friends by telling them you are giving up so that they can support you and hold you accountable. Maybe team up and quit with your partner, family member or friend. There are many social media platforms you can use to share your experiences and encourage each other. There are many help groups online to help too or you can get support from your local pharmacy, we are always delighted to help.
2. Avoid your triggers
Take note of your triggers, after dinner, with your morning coffee break, out socialising with friends or when you are stressed. Change your routine around these triggers. You're half way there with the help of lockdown reducing your socialising trigger! After dinner keep your hands busy washing the dishes instead of reaching for a cigarette. Have juice instead of coffee for your morning break. Avoid alcohol as it weakens your will power. Make sure to clear out all smoking paraphernalia, lighters, ashtrays and your back up stash of cigarettes, from your house, car and place of work.
3. Eat well and exercise
The good news is that the foods that make a cigarette taste less satisfying like fruits and veggies, are the foods that are also good for you and can help with minimising weight gain. So make sure to have a good healthy well balanced diet. Drink plenty of water - drinking a glass of water when you get a craving is another strategy to help distract yourself until the moment passes. Exercise is also a great way of distracting yourself, so as the exercise restrictions get wider, get out and walk, jog, or cycle. Exercise is also great for helping you to manage stress, thus helping to eliminate another trigger.
4. Reward yourself
Put the money you save every day into a piggy bank or savings account and watch it grow. Think of all the ways you could treat yourself with this money, reward yourself with small treats or save up for that big treat, from teeth whitening, new phone or iPad to a holiday or new kitchen. If you used to smoke 20 a day you would make a saving of over €4500 in a year!
5. NRT - Nicotine Replacement Therapy
If going cold turkey is a bit daunting, there are many nicotine replacement therapies available to you from patches, gum, lozenges, inhalers and sprays. They come in different strengths to suit everyone. Gum is usually the first stop for a lot of people but we find lozenges are starting to take over in popularity. Always make sure to chat with your pharmacist to advice what option would suit you best.
Always make sure you are well stocked with your NRT of choice so that when that craving hits you are well prepared.
I wish you good luck on your quit journey and we in LloydsPharmacy are always here to help - we look forward to helping you kick the habit.
Suggested support products:
Products contain Nicotine. Always read the label/leaflet and ask your pharmacist for advice.
- Nicotinell Compressed Lozenge comes in two strengths, 4mg and 2mg, and two flavours Mint and Cool Mint.
- Another popular newcomer is Nicorette Quick Mist, which also comes in two flavours, Freshmint and Cool Berry.
- To really improve your chances of quitting for good, or if your will power is rock bottom, you can try Nicorette Dual Support.
- Try wearing the Nicorette Invisipatch and when the craving breaks through chew on a Nicorette Gum or use the Nicorette Inhaler.
- NiQuitin® Mini Lozenges are small, mint-flavoured lozenges that come in a handy pack offering rapid relief from nicotine cravings.
